SWABI, May 24: Following the cold-blooded murder of a four-year-old child a week ago, Topi police station's investigation team arrested his neighbour, who confessed to killing the minor boy after molesting him to hide his crime.

Police told this correspondent on Tuesday that during investigations one Abbas Khan, 19, admitted that he first molested the child and then killed him for fear that he might disclose his name to family members.

The child, son of Hafizur Rehman who works as stenographer, had disappeared from his home on May 17 and later his body wrapped in a bag was recovered from an abandoned house at Wakil Colony, Topi.

DPO Mohammad Ijaz on the compliant of Mr Rehman had constituted a three-member committee, including inspector Nazir Khan and SHO Manzoor Alam, to investigate the case.

“Abbas Khan confessed to his crime during investigation, saying that as the child knew him he hit him in the head with stones, ensuring that he was dead,” said an official, who was part of the investigation team.

The official said that the accused packed the child's body in a bag and threw at an abandoned place. He said that Abbas was arrested under Section 302 and would be produced in court soon.

The locals said that after noticing smell from the abandoned house they found the bag and informed the police and parents of the child.

“Police also recovered stones soaked in blood. We detained Khan and during interrogation he confessed to have committed the murder,” said the official. He said that the police traced the accused as the bag he had used was having the names of his father and brother written on it.—Correspondent